Cotter seeks to increase surety

CANON CITY — Public comment is being sought on a Cotter Corp. proposal to increase its annual surety bond for future monitoring of its now-defunct uranium mill site.

Cotter Corp. has set aside a $17,262,622 surety to cover estimated costs to install and monitor groundwater wells and prevent groundwater from seeping off site at the mill just south of Canon City once it is completely decommissioned. Based on a 1.4 percent inflation rate, Cotter proposes to increase that surety by $241,691 to a total of just over $17.5 million.

According to Radioactive Materials Unit Lead Jennifer Opila, the state health department reviewed the request and sought comment from the citizen members of the Cotter Community Advisory Group. She said that health officials feel the increase meets the update requirements.

However, Opila did point out in a letter to Cotter Uranium Mill Manager John Hamrick that, “As we proceed further toward determining a (cleanup) remedy for the Cotter facility, it will be appropriate to re-evaluate the entire surety amount.”

Cotter officials announced in 2011 they would close the mill for good after it sat idle since 2006. The mill and a portion of the neighboring Lincoln Park community have been a Superfund site since 1988 due to uranium and molybdenum contamination in groundwater and soils.

The Colorado Department of Public Health will accept comment on the surety proposal through Oct. 22. Comments can be sent via email to Warren Smith, community involvement manager, at warren.smith@state.co.us or by calling 888-569-1831.